BIAFF Industry Platform “Alternative Wave”   was held during  29 October – 1 November, 2020 in Tbilisi. It was mixed format – participants of platform (Georgian film makers, producers of new projects selected for platform) gathered in Tbilisi in conference hall for joint workshop and  later it was continued with invited film experts / trainers via online platform for group and individual discussions, consultations etc. 

The major goal of the “Alternative Wave 2020” is to develop the low budget feature film projects with the support of foreign and local experienced film industry specialists. “Alternative Wave” mainly focuses on Georgian film projects, but few years ago it started to involve some projects from Black Sea region (Turkey, Ukraine, Bulgaria etc.). In long-term, it will expand to Black Sea region and become the regional meeting platform.

BIAFF industry platform “Alternative Wave” was organized for 6th year at BIAFF festival. The project is coordinated by Georgian producers Lasha Khalvashi and Tinatin Kajrishvili.  It is an essential part of the festival, since creates the effective platform for interaction of Georgian and international film makers, film industry representatives and provide the opportunity to Georgian filmmakers  to get professional support in development of new film projects via involvement of international experts. Later on, the selected projects will be presented on various other international industry platforms (for ex: Istanbul Film festival etc.)

The following projects were selected for Alternative Wave 2020 edition:

1. "Beka" - screenwriter and director Vano Burduli.
2. "Hammock" - directed by Levan Tutberidze, author of the script Irakli Solomonashvili.
3. "Tenth Witness" author and director of the script Giga Liklikadze
4. "Awakening" scriptwriter and director Tengiz Asitashvili
5. "Cold Clouds" screenwriter and director Kakha Kikabidze.
6. "Good Boys" screenwriter and director Giorgi Tavartkiladze
7. "Continuous Road", screenwriter and director Giorgi Megrelishvili
8. "Chaos of Silence" screenwriter and director Nina Shaburishvili
9. "BRULE LE SANG" screenwriters Akaki Popkhadze and Floren Hill, director Akaki Popkhadze

Selected participants had the opportunity to develop projects in the following areas – script, presentations, funding strategy, film production strategy, distribution and marketing strategy etc.

Invited experts participating this year at platform:

• Nikos Panayotopoulos (Greece).
• Laurent Danilo (France).
• Tamar Tatishvili (Georgia).
• Gulin Ustun (Turkey).
• Gela Babluani (Georgia).

Gulin Ustun (director of Istanbul Film Festival’s industry platform “Meetings on the Bridge”) selected film project "Chaos of Silence" by Nina Shaburishvili  for “Meetings On The Bridge” which will be held in April, 2021.

BIAFF 2020  “Alternative Wave” supporters – Georgian National Film Center, Ministry of Culture of Ajara

Festival Supporters – Batumi city hall, Ministry of Culture of Georgia,  Georgian National Film Center, Ministry of Culture of Ajara AR, Tourism Department of Ajara AR, Batumi Puppet Theatre, Goethe Institute Georgia, Embassy of Italy, French Institute

Festival Sponsors –  “GPC” LLC, Batumi Auto transport, “Legal Consulting Center” LLC,  

Festival Media Partners – Georgian Public Broadcaster, Radio Fortuna/Fortuna+, Adjara TV, Batumi TV, Publicity Group (www.publicity.ge), Film New Europe (www.filmneweurope.com), INDIGO Magazine, Cinemania, Cineuropa.org, AT.GE, Newspaper BATUMELEBI, netgazeti.ge

More information here: http://www.biaff.org/, https://www.facebook.com/BIAFFBATUMI/.